sharp snow

I am still kind of shocked by winter here. I've never lived in the snow before, and it's strange to me. The last few days the temperature hovers around two degrees in the mornings, and the snow is tiny and sharp.

Summer feels so far away. I was looking through my photos and saw this picture of my first road trip to Moab from three and a half years ago.

Here's a journal entry from May 24, 2004:

"Tonight I built my first all-by-myself campfire just for my own self to sit by. I took a 7 mile hike today in Devil's Garden and I'm feeling tired and I'm feeling a deep deep contentment and satisfaction. I'm so proud of my little fire I can hardly stand it. The family camping across from me stare at me every time they walk past on their way to the pit toilet. I wave and say, "evening!" (The little girl is thinking, "someday, I'm going to have a pickup truck and go camping alone and build a fire just for myself.") My fire smells lovely and it makes little tinkling sounds and tiny mouse sighs. The sky is very dark now and the moon has nearly set over the cliffs. Just set."

Right now summer and flowers seem like some kind of rediculous miracle. Movie stars, on the other hand, are coming out in abundance. The Sundance Film Festival is in town. There are so many people here in Park City, looking like glamorous yetis.